Education: Kirkwood Community College - AAS Interior Design
Employer: The SLAM Collaborative - Iowa City, IA
Years in Design: 4
Years in IIDA: 1
City Center: Eastern Iowa

What sources do you look to for drive and inspiration?
Even though I spend most of my professional time designing healthcare spaces, I love to look to residential design for inspiration. I want the spaces I design to feel inviting and comfortable, so where better to look than to what people choose to surround themselves with in their own homes. If I can make a space function the way it needs to in a healthcare environment, while at the same time allowing the users to feel less like they are in an intimidating and sometimes stressful healthcare setting, then I’ve done my job.

Do you have anything in your homes that you’ve designed or created?
Yes! My boyfriend and I are currently (and very slowly) remodeling our 1960s ranch house. We have plans to touch every inch of the house before we are done and so far, we’ve started to replace all the trim work, exposed the original hardwood floors, designed and built some built-ins, taken down a couple walls, painted a lot, and remodeled a bathroom with plans to add another soon.

What inspired you to go into your line of work?
My mom is extremely design-oriented and an amazing hand quilter and worked as a graphic artist, so I grew up around her asking my opinion on all sorts of things related to what she was designing at the time. I was also the graphic editor for my high school newspaper, which helped me know that a collaborative team environment, centered on some sort of design is where I tend to thrive the most, and where I never seem to get bored. I briefly majored in graphic design and apparel merchandising in college, but ultimately my path led me to interior design, and I’m so glad that it did. I feel like I can really take my career in whatever direction I want, and there’s really no limits.

Do you have any rules or philosophies that steer you in design and/or career?
I believe that great design is as essential to a person’s wellbeing as most other vital parts of life. It would be a dream if every space you walked into felt accessible to every kind of person, down to the last detail. It can be easier to let the little things slide by during the design process, but I have made it my goal to try to be an advocate for as many kinds of people during the design process as I can to ensure everyone feels comfortable and can actually use the space when it’s completed.

What words of advice do you have for passionate interior designers early in their career?
Don’t be in too big of a hurry to get where you want to go, because there is so much to be learned along the way. Lean on your coworkers and mentors and ask lots of questions, because they have a lot of knowledge to give. Stay inspired and just follow the path in this career you feel yourself naturally gravitating towards.

What are the last five songs you’ve listened to?

• Give Into the Dark – Jordan Mackampa
• Die Young – Sylvan Esso
• Morning Breeze – Juke Ross
• The Ocean – Joseph Solomon
• LaViNDur - KAMAUU

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